Crowninshield
Places of Interest 'Old Arkham Graveyard '(Stealth/Intimidate 1 Site, Necropolis Entrance) A remnant from Arkham's founding, this cemetary contains some of the oldest graves in the town. In the mid-1960s, city fathers planned to re-inter those buried here to make way for development, but the forces of preservation prevailed. This popular site on the historical tour features graves of many prominent Arkham families dating back hundreds of years. Many seventeenth century headstones exist; the newest is dated 1743; some are weathered beyond legibility. An entrance to the Tunnels is cunningly hidden within a weathered sepulcher. 'The Lighthouse Parish of St. Michael's Community Center' (Haven/Occult/Academics/Socialize/Expression 1 Site) '' This brick, two-story building is owned by St. Michael’s Parish. It was originally constructed as a bathhouse in the days when many homes lacked modern plumbing. When those days vanished, St. Michael’s parish bought the property and converted the building into an orphanage for young Catholics in need. It served in this capacity for decades, until pressure from the state Department of Social Services closed the orphanage in the early 1970s; by then only a handful of children were still at the facility, most of the others transferred to state-run institutions and dispersed into the foster home care system. After relinquishing its orphanage duties, the parish converted the building to a much-needed parish activity center and classrooms for religious education. The parish often rents out the large hall and industrial-capacity kitchen to civic groups, conducts bingo fundraisers, and the parish-chartered Boy Scout Troop 729 uses the facilities for large pack meetings. In the basement, behind the old, massive, disused bathhouse boiler system, exists a secret door hidden behind aged wooden paneling. The secret door opens to a concrete tunnel that connects with nearby St. Michael’s rectory. At the mid-point in the tunnel is a small room of bare concrete. The tunnel then continues on, leading to a similarly hidden door in the basement of the rectory. 'St. Michael's Catholic Church (Persuasion/Expression 3 Site) Originally a Presbyterian Church, St. Michael’s was purchased and consecrated over to the Catholic diocese in 1854. During the 1920s and 1930s this church was heavily funded by infamous Arkham crime boss, and devout Catholic, Danny O’Bannion. After the departure of Father Paul Sheene, Father Paul Walsh took over, continuing to accept cash donations from O’Bannion in full knowledge of how it was gained. Walsh was also a very sick man and St. Michael’s church and nearby parish orphanage were allegedly the scene of many sexual indiscretions committed on underage boys by Father Paul Walsh and his successors over the years. Miraculously (or perhaps tragically) the years of abuse seems to have flown under the radar of both media and church watchdog organizations. A secret concrete tunnel connects the rectory with the nearby parish community center, which was the parish orphanage when the tunnel was constructed by the late Father Walsh in the nineteen thirties. A small subterranean chamber in the middle of the tunnel has been the scene of many past iniquities. '''Holy Grounds ''(Haven/Socialize 2 Site) Just a block over from St. Michael’s church is a very hip coffeehouse, “Holy Grounds,” occupying Bayfriar's, an old brick church abandoned for many years before being converted to its current use. Probably one of the most unique java huts in the northeast. Patrons enjoy the contrast of the very modern service counter, whooshing latte machines, and complimentary wireless Internet service with the neo-gothic architecture, high-set stained glass windows and wooden beam-work held over from the early days. Several St. Michael’s parishioners have written to the owner to complain about the name of his establishment, which he cheerfully ignores. The coffee is very good here, probably the best in the city. Customers can get a wide variety of coffee blends, teas, chais, lattes, cappuccinos, and other specialty drinks. Prices are relatively steep, but the quality and variety can’t be beat. Open weekdays 10 am to 7 pm, weekends 10 am to 10 pm. The upper levels of the old church, above the shop, are a dusty jumble of old wooden pews, discarded furniture, and supplies for the coffeehouse below. It is always dark up here, and the coffee shop workers only travel as deep into the shadowy vastness of the place as necessary to retrieve supplies. Rumor has it the old bell tower is haunted, but by who or what is uncertain. The owner has eventual plans to “do something” with the unused portions of the building, but is too busy with the coffee business to figure out what just yet. The basement is likewise ignored, a haven of dust and cobwebs. 'Ellen S. Draper Elementary (Academics/Medicine 1 Site) Grades 1-5 and Kindergarten meet here from the last Monday in August to the first Friday in June. The Draper School has special facilities for children with special needs, and kids bus in from all over Kingsmouth to attend. '''Kingsmouth Independent Real Estate ''(Intimidation/Streetwise/Investigation 1 Site) Kingsmouth Independent Real Estate endeavors to meet all its clients’ housing, rental or investment needs, and has been in business since 1968 (though the name changed from Arkham Independent Real Estate only three years ago). Office hours: 8:30am - 6:00pm Monday to Saturday; 9:00am - 6:00pm Sunday. Its agents have sold more than a few homes in Kingsmouth with unsavory histories or odd architectural features, but they are naturally discreet about such things. The agency is based out of a classic, huge, whitepainted Victorian house, complete with wraparound porch. The exterior is kept in excellent repair, and the lawn is professionally tended by a landscaping company. Within, the once-grand home has been subdivided by drywall into smallish offices and larger client conference rooms, somewhat spoiling the olden charm of the place. A receptionist sits behind a large, counter-style desk in what used to be the parlor, just to the right of the main entry. 'Arkham Heritage Foundation (Investigation/Academics 3 Site) The old Arkham Historical Society died out sometime in the late 1970s; from its ashes arose the Arkham Heritage Foundation some two decades later. The Foundation is always in the forefront to save old Arkham houses and buildings from ruin, even if they’re crumbling old hulks that have been empty for decades. Their own headquarters is a large old church dating back to 1743 that has been competently restored, the Foundation’s first project. The place was acquired by the Foundation when the church closed its doors due to the unfortunate convergence of declining attendance and skyrocketing maintenance costs. All of the church’s old records are still kept on-site, locked away in a large archival storage room. The Heritage Foundation is considered a bane to area land developers but are well-supported by donations, including one or two truly significant benefactors with deep Arkham roots and deep pockets. Run strictly by volunteers, most of them elderly, the Foundation will occasionally commission area researchers to document or investigate old houses or odd histories in the region. In the basement, underneath an ancient seaman’s trunk that has been there for decades, is an entrance to the Tunnels. Should one be in this desolate corner of the basement late at night, occasional shuffling, meepings and scratching can be heard from below. '''Blakeman House ''(Hotel/Housing/Feeding Ground 2) An elegantly restored 18th century home, this hotel offers air-conditioned rooms with private baths and four poster beds. Historically there is no “Blakeman” or even “Blake” associated with the house; the owners thought it sounded classy and (correctly) assumed the moniker would attract the desired clientele. 'The Arondel Estate (Housing) Snugly next door to the Blakeman, the Arondel Estate is another elegantly restored 18th century home, its wrought iron fences festooned so thickly with creeping honeysuckle vines that it's almost impossible to peer beyond. Still, they flower into gorgeous orange trumpets and perfume the air sweetly in season, and even in the harsh winter months the graceful curves of the wrought iron are pleasing to the eye. '''Crowninshield Estates ''(Housing, Location) Forty luxury “Crowninshield Estates”, oversized (and overpriced) single family homes on the acreage cluster here in several cul-de-sacs on small individual lots, looking like big men in little suits. A barren clearing in the woods bordering the development is accessible via an ancient footpath. Children in the development often play in the clearing, which is just out of earshot of the houses. An ancient granite fire-pit lies at the center of the clearing, its stone border marked with curious, weather-worn runes. 'O'Beanna '''(Location) Crushed between buildings in a rather rundown neighborhood, the O'Beanna has managed to do well enough due to the nearby source of staff available and the protection it's under, both mundane and supernatural. From outside it's fairly standard fare for the area, with the exception of the carving of a crow above the door frame. Inside it develops further, dark wood making up the walls in panels and the tables, chairs and counter. A strong Celtic theme can be seen throughout, etchings in furniture and on the walls starkly clear. That artwork isn't alone however: wooden carvings of birds and a robed woman with bared breasts and a spear can also be seen at regular internals. Finally, replica, blunted weapons line the walls, firmly clasped to them to avoid any would-be troublemakers plucking them off the displays. They're blunted anyhow, which lessens the potential of bodily harm. A few small rooms can be found at the back for private meetings, including one that employs rather impressive soundproofing for delicate talks (something that isn't widely advertised). Category:Crowninshield Category:French Hill Category:Arkham Category:Locations Category:Claimed territories